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Stanford admission rate of 7.6 percent most competitive in university's history

Stanford University announced today that 2,300 candidates have been offered admission to its undergraduate Class of 2013.

The figure, which includes 689 candidates admitted in December through Stanford's Restrictive Early Action Program, represents an admission rate of just 7.6 percent, the most competitive in the university's history.

The university received an unprecedented 30,428 applications. The Office of Undergraduate Admission initially anticipated approximately 25,000 applications but experienced a 20 percent surge, possibly because of enhanced financial aid programs that make Stanford more affordable for low- and middle-income families.

"We expected a modest increase in interest in Stanford this year, but a volatile economy certainly made things unpredictable. We never imagined a 20 percent surge in applications," said Richard Shaw, dean of admission and financial aid. "Our new financial aid programs, aimed at families with incomes below $100,000, have raised the level of awareness of Stanford. These enhancements, combined with a much more comprehensive global outreach effort, have increased the visibility of Stanford throughout the world."

Admitted students are invited to spend an April weekend on campus and have until May 1 to respond to their admission offer.

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Editor Note:

A previous version of this release failed to include an embargo date and time. Please note that the information in this release is embargoed until 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2009.